Kids & Colds

Eat your Veggies & Stay Healthy!

Do your kids get colds?  Mine really only get maybe one cold a winter.  I like to think it is because we try our best to stay healthy and take our vitamins!!  Wrote a blog about keep germs at bay that has been shared on other websites, so thought I would post it here!  Please feel free to leave comments for any other tips you have!

Kids and colds seem to go hand-in-hand this time of the year . . . but they don’t have to!

It’s true, germs are everywhere, and your kids will be at school, daycare or playgroups with coughing, sneezing and runny nosed children.  You can’t avoid the germs, but you can protect yourself and your kids by picking up a few healthy habits at your house this winter!

Eat plenty of fruits & veggies.  It is best to get your vitamin C from eating an orange so your body can benefit from the many other nutrients an orange has to offer! Experiment with your kids and new fruits and vegetables;  see if they can eat a rainbow of colours every day.  Cut into fun shapes, put on a stick and dip into yogurt, try broiled grapefruit or bbq’d pineapple. Freeze some grapes or a banana dipped in a little chocolate.  Add pureed squash to thicken that chili or spaghetti sauce.  Make fruits and vegetables part of every meal.

Eat yoghurt.  It has good bacteria that helps your immune system resist colds!  Add to a morning shake, put a few spoonfuls on the kids cereal, use as a dip for bananas, melon or apples before bedtime.

Drink lots.  Water is best, or 100% juice, to flush out the bad and keep you well hydrated.  Dilute juice with water for same great taste and less sugar!  Make your own fun flavours of water by adding lemon, or frozen melon, strawberries and grapes! Add orange, pineapple, passion fruit and cranberry juice together in a fancy glass for a fun treat the kids will love.

Wash everything! Doorknobs, light switches, telephones and remote controls all share your families’ germs! Wash kids hands and faces, even when not dirty.  Get into the habit of washing up after school, before meals and even before bed.

Get outside.  I know its cold, but bundle up and go out anyways.  So much fun can be had outside in the winter –go for a hike or a bike ride if you are short on snow or build a hill in your front yard and toboggan with the kids if you have too much!  While you are at it, open the windows occasionally to bring some of that fresh air inside during winter months to rid your house of any lurking air born virus.

Get some exercise.  Did you know exercise that gets your heart pumping and oxygen flowing actually increases your body’s ability to ward off cold germs?

Get some sleep.  Getting the proper amount of rest give your body the energy it needs to fight off the cold and flu virus.

And Take your Vitamins. Always good to fill in any gaps from your diet with a range of vitamins.  Multi, Omega, Vitamin D, B12, and Calcium are all vital to a healthy immune system, make sure you are getting enough!

The best defense against any illness is always a strong immune system.  A healthy diet rich in protein, grains and all the vitamins your body needs, plus some regular fresh air, exercise, plenty of fluids and rest is sure to keep your family feeling good this winter!

Fitting it in!

I was lucky, I was raised in an active family and as result, I have always understood the importance of a healthy lifestyle. It has always been important, but it hasn't always been easy. In University I had other priorities, after my knee surgery it wasn't possible, for 6 months while pregnant and recovering from baby #1’s c-section it wasn't advised . . .then baby #2, then there was baby #3! It has been a struggle to find time to get out running through the years, but I kept at it, started over many times, and now I am a proud Mom with healthy active kids!

I have the same busy life all moms do with kids, a husband who travels and a work from home office with a great view, but no child care! Getting out my front door without kids is very tricky. Over the years I have gotten quite creative! I will run to my child’s soccer game while the rest of the family goes in the van, when I drop a kid at a birthday party I run around the neighbourhood until I can pick her up again. On days I used to work in an office, I would run on my lunch hour and then sit at my desk a little sweaty all afternoon! Any alone time I saw in my schedule, I put on my running shoes! My husband & I hire a babysitter for an hour so we can bike or run together. My running happens because it has always been my priority. I find as moms with long to do lists, we tend to put the workout at the bottom. We have to make our health a priority to find windows of time in our busy days.

Three of my proudest achievements after the birth of my 3 children, is crossing a ½ marathon finish line with my husband and each of our daughters in a jogging stroller when they were just 8 months old!!

We signed up for the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll ½ Marathon happening 7 hours away and just 8 months after the birth of our first daughter. I did whatever I had to to get in those runs. I started with the run/walk with her in the jogging stroller for 3km and once I could run 3km without stopping, I added 5 minutes every weekend. Within a few months I was running 2hrs and ready to try my first ½ marathon. Race day was not the funnest 2 1/2 hrs in the rain, but we did it and my baby has a finish line photo and medal on display in our house.

12 months later I had my 2^nd baby girl and my elaborate training program started again! This time it was a bit trickier to fit in runs as I was not a double stroller kind of girl!! Eight months later my husband and I crossed the finish line at the Ottawa ½ marathon and she too has a finish line photo and medal hanging in our house.

Then we had baby #3 . . when the heck would I ever run again?! We committed to the Quebec ½ marathon just 8 months after her birth. I got up early, I ran in the cold, I ran when I was tired and I ran when I would have rather sat and had breakfast with my family. I took my babies to the local YMCA and put them in programs and babysitting so I could run on a treadmill. We crossed that finish line in our best time yet with our 3^rd daughter and she too has a medal and finish line photo.

I proudly display my babies photos and medals and talk to them often about how great they were in those races. I want my daughters to see the rewards of setting a goal and following through and to understand that it takes dedication and effort. My kids are 5, 7 and 9 and have already done their first triathlon and two family 5km runs . . . we are a truly an active family!

It is a priority to be a healthy mom, a healthy role model for my girls and to raise healthy kids . . . I am committed to it, even if it means I have to run to swimming lessons!

How do you fit in exercise?

Choosing to stay home . . .

Long before I was a Mom or had even met my husband, I had decided that I wanted to be at home with my kids. I am not sure why. It was always just something that was important to me. I didn’t have any idea how I would afford to stay home or if I would even enjoy it, I just knew I would.

In my 20’s I was a hard working professional with a full on career. I had an office, a steady pay cheque, worked tons of overtime, I loved what I did, and I was good at it. In my 30’s I became a mom and although I knew I would be staying home, I didn’t stop working. My full time job became 20-30 hours a week of contract work. I was a busy stay at home working mom of 1 and in less that 2 years became a crazy stay at home working mom of 2. Breastfeeding a baby during conference calls and tickling a toddler playing under my desk became the norm of my day!

When my 3rd daughter was born I knew I was done working for a while. I was a mom of 3 kids under 3 at home with not only no daycare, but also a travelling husband and my main source of help, my mom, now busy caring for my ailing father.

My world was made up of kids, feedings, snacks, diaper changes, doctors appointments, chemo with my Dad, groceries, play dates and cleaning up after play dates. It was everything I wanted and more than I could handle all at the same time. Occasionally I could be found in a corner in tears, pretty sure I couldn’t do it one more day. Convinced that my girls would be better off having fun with other kids in a child care center then watch me unsuccessfully deal with the over whelming responsibility of catering to their needs each day. I have no idea how I made it through those first 2 years of being a mom to 3 small children. I leaned on friends and consoled myself that tomorrow would be better. Staying at home was not exactly as I had envisioned it, but it was still my choice.

I took 3 kids to all my doctors appointments, all their doctor appointment, all our dentist appointments, all kids activities; everywhere I needed to go, 3 kids had to come with me. I taught my children that we were a team and we travelled as a team and listening to mom was always required. I taught them how to sit still at the doctors, hold on to the stroller in parking lots and be patient at the grocery store. I have changed more than one diaper on my lap, I can make lunch with a baby in one arm, a toddler around my leg and a 3 year old crying because Barney is not magically appearing on TV. I have pulled the car over to feed kids, I have almost forgotten to pick up kids, and have been home for every second of the joy and struggles with kids. It wasn’t always pretty, but it did get easier as we all grew up together! I even had time to start working from home again, carving out a little time for mom with kids still running around the house!

My kids may have seen me at my worst, but I have seen them at their best. They have enjoyed more free time at home, more special days with mom, and I was there for all their naptime stories and potty training attempts. I had time to teach all 3 of my girls how to swim, how to skate, how to ski, how to bake, how to read, and how to put on lip gloss. Being home allowed me those opportunities and as the first day of Grade1 approaches for my last “baby”, I am so sad to see them all off in school full time now . . .but also so happy that I was able to enjoy time with them at home all these years.

When you choose to stay home . . . you choose a lot more hours of kids tears, of whining, of arguing, of cleaning, of constant companions for every errand and maybe a few more hours of smiles, of laughs, of memories, and snuggles. It wasn’t always an easy 10 years at home, but it was the right choice for me and I wouldn't trade any of it. What has choosing to be home meant to you?

I Will Miss Them . . .

This September I become a stay at home working mom with no one left at home once the school bell rings. After 3 children and almost 10 years of daily doting on kids while attempting to maintain a career (and my sense of humour), I will be home alone every day. My baby is entering Grade 1 and I will miss them . . . .

I will miss getting them drinks, snacks, lunch, Kleenex and more snacks every 14 seconds, then cleaning up the mess that is made from the drinks, snacks, and lunch every 14 seconds. I will miss referring their arguments, tripping over the million toys that end up in the family room, flushing the toilet 17 times, changing the TV station and putting in a new DVD. I will miss answering their never ending questions, buckling and un buckling many seatbelts, hiding in the closet while on conference calls. I will miss packing bags of snacks & activities to go anywhere for 5 minutes, being home on time for nap time, lunch time, activity time. I will miss potty training, sleep training, nose blowing and constant interruptions. I will miss the noise, the complaining, the whining, the asking, the crying and miss hearing “mom” 87 times everyday.

But most of all, I will miss holding their hands when we go to the doctors office or down the street to pick up the mail. I’ll miss chatting with them in the shopping cart and teaching them about different fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. I’ll miss laughing with them. I’ll miss the company when I go to meetings and business events during the day. I’ll miss reading them stories and getting hugs before mid day naps. I’ll miss the conversations about their friends and teachers at the lunch table. I’ll miss the mid afternoon bike rides to the park, the mommy days at the pool, the ice rink, dance class or the library. I’ll miss the playdates and my mom friends. I’ll miss having someone at home with me and I will miss hearing ‘mom’ 87 times each day.

As each one has entered Grade 1, I am proud of the young girls they have become and thankful I was able to be home with them for their first 5 years. But now as my 3^rd (and final) baby enters Grade 1, I have the full range of emotions. I am excited for them to be growing up, for them to be together in the “big kid playground” at school . . . I know they will take care of each other. I am happy for me, that I will have time for the gym during the day and to be able to work on my business during work hours! I am grateful for the quantity of time I have had with my kids over the years and optimistic for the quality time ahead after school! But I am also sad . . . sad that this house will now be quiet during the day, sad that a big part of me will be missing and sad that the years of being at home with kids is now over.

I have loved being home with you girls . . . have fun, grow, explore, learn . . . and come home after school everyday and tell me all about it!

Yes, I will miss them . . .

Healthy Back to School Routine!

Forget January, September is when everything starts anew when you have school aged children! I figure I have survived 1065 school mornings so far and every September I vow that this is the year I am going to achieve the perfect back to school morning!

We all dream of smooth, calm morning routines where everyone walks out the door for school dressed, fed, brushed and on time, but the reality is most mornings are a scramble, throwing lunches together, searching for permission forms, breaking up arguments, and running late causing the kids to eat breakfast in the car!

This year, we are following our ‘6 Rule’s for School‘ to ensure we get off to a healthy start!

Routine. Kids thrive on routine and parent can relish in it. Bedtime should be as consistent as wake up time. When everyone arrives home from school, everything from homework to permission forms to library books goes in one place and things like hats, mittens, jackets are hung up in their place. Nothing goes astray and no one can use the “I couldn’t find it” excuse!

Reach. Put everything in reach so the kids can help out. A low

pantry shelf can hold small cereal containers, bowls, spoons and cups sobreakfast can be handled on their own by children as young as three.

Responsibilities. Share them! Kids love to help! They can handle picking out clothes, emptying the dishwasher, packing up their backpacks, taking their vitamins, setting out the lunch containers and filling water bottles.

Reminders. Get some poster board, colourful markers and talk with the kids about what needs to get done each morning: get dressed, brush hair, brush teeth, homework/library books, vitamins, pack backpack, empty dishwasher, etc. Then post this list of reminders on the hall closet door. When kids are not sure what to do next, they know where to look to make sure they have completed everything. Add in stickers or a check list for the really young ones so they feel like they are accomplishing something.

Recipe. Make a commitment to yourself and your kids that this year you will strive to make at least one homemade snack. Get the kids to help. A double batch of oatmeal applesauce cookies and a loaf of whole wheat banana bread take just an hour to make and will get you through at least two weeks of school snacks. Store in the freezer cut up and ready to pack in lunch containers on school mornings.

Relax. Every new routine will take a bit of tweaking, but if each family member is given a role and works toward the same goal, your morning routine will quickly become second nature. And if you still show up late to school one morning and forget to brush hair, it’s OK, math class will still happen and tomorrow is another chance to try it again!

What re your back to school morning routine tricks that help you avoid the mad dash out the door?

My First Triathlon . . .at 43!

I’ve have been active all my life. I got a bike when I was 3 and it was my mode of transportation before I could drive. I took swimming lessons forever and was a lifeguard throughout High School and University. I grew up in an active family and I’ve been running since I was 10. After the birth of all 3 of my babies, my husband and I ran a ½ marathon in a different city with baby in the jogging stroller when they were only 8 months old. It seems only natural that I would eventually do a triathlon . . . but I never had! Last spring my husband and I trained for and did our first sprint duathlon – run 2km, biking 20km and run another 5km . . .and now it was time to move up to a triathlon – a swim, then bike, then run.

We trained the weekend before to practice the transitions. Running in your bathing suit is not always comfortable and there is a talent to setting out your towel, your socks, and shoes beside your bike. Then there is remembering that your shirt fits better if you put it on BEFORE your bike helmet. . . something that warrants mentioning! The swim was easy . . .we are naturals here. The bike was easy too, but remembering that this is a race and not a joy ride ups the pressure just a bit. Then the run. The legs feel funny! We carry on with minimal complaining, this is just too much fun to stop! After we are done we reviewed what was harder than we thought and what was the fun part . . .everyone agreed, it was a bit of a challenge!

The day before race day was orientation . . . always a good idea to know where you are going beforehand as race day can be a bit blurry with so many people around and cones all over the course. We studied the maps, we drove the bike course, we scoped out the pool and we reviewed the running route. We were ready!

With the training under our belt, we woke up early on the big day! The sun was shining and the first race was at 8:30am . . .bikes had to be in transition area by 8. We picked a prime position and got our numbers written on our arms & legs with MARKERS! How fun, we are never allowed to write on ourselves with markers!!

The excitement mounts as we run into friend after friend who is there to do their first triathlon too!! We can’t wait for the first wave to start!! And then it was time. Our 5 year old was up first. . . . yup, my first triathlon was actually for my kids!

Helping them prepare, taking a zillion pictures, encouraging them from the sidelines and setting them up for a lifetime of loving individual sports . . . that was our role that day. It took me 43 years to get this close to a triathlon and I learned, that for my husband and I, it was an honour to be the parents on the sidelines rather than the athletes in the race this time.

All three kids were so excited. They didn’t know they were supposed to be nervous . . .this was all brand new to them but they approached it like pros. My 5 year old flew through the course with me by her side. Proud as punch she climbed out of the pool and sat on her bike with wet shorts and raced faster than I could keep up running beside her. Then took off for the run before we even saw where the volunteers had taken her bike!!

Our 7 and 9 year old daughters could barely contain themselves as they had to wait before their age group was up. They were eager to do their longer race on their own they said! The happiness and excitement in these three kids that day was contagious. The determination in the transition area to do up those shoe laces and buckle that helmet and the smiles as they raced by us on their bikes will forever be remembered. But what I cherish the most is the looks of pure joy on their faces as they emerged from the transition area for the run to the finish line.

At 43, I can finally say “I have done my first triathlon.” It’s not important that it was my kids that crossed the finish line. Our family did this one together.

The Memory Moments

Can you imagine anything more amazing for a child than to be out at sunset, canoes in the distance, jumping into a lake with her family and friends close by cheering her on? This is the oldest of my 3 daughters and this photo just makes me so proud, as her mom, to be able to give her these childhood memories. Even if it is just a second in her life, this photo captures the beauty of life, the joy of the moment and the wonderful experiences that are out there for our children.

That is a lot for one photo to say, I know. But my kids are like everyone else's; they hate cleaning their rooms, emptying the dishwasher, sitting still in the car for 2 hours to get to the lake, sitting still while we pack, hanging around while we finish dishes so they can go to the lake. They whine, they complain, they are impatient. But they are so fortunate. They get to go jump in the lake. At sunset. With canoes going by and their family by their side.

The next time they complain about chores, I will show them this photo. The next time I complain about laundry or packing a family of 5 to go away, I will remind myself of this photo.

Life is amazing, simply because my kids get to jump into the lake, at sunset, if they want to.

What moments do you cherish, knowing your children will remember them for always?